How text messages can eradicate waiting times

A text messaging services can engage the difficult younger demographic who make up the vast majority of ‘do not attends’, writes Tom Whicher. Photograph: Sebastian Pfuetze/Getty Pictures

Has there ever been a much more explosive problem in the NHS than waiting instances?

Progress has been manufactured in much more latest times, but figures published by the government in March for the January time period show a reversal of these hard-won enhancements. About 2.9 million men and women had been waiting for remedy in the first month of 2014, up by 362,000 from January 2013.

Figures also show a rise in the quantity of patients in England who had not been treated within the NHS target of 18 weeks between referral to remedy, from 143,741 in January 2013, to 189,179 in 2014.

As one particular of the most substantial-profile targets in the NHS, managers are underneath pressure to throw sources at attempts to carry down breaches, this kind of as employing additional employees to chase patients to make sure they attend, and frequently putting on extra clinics at a expense of around £600 a throw. Offered that the typical hospital runs about 200 additional clinics, this bill could finish up at an additional £100,000 a year. Even if person hospitals are in a position to meet targets in this way, it really is clear that these techniques are unsustainable given the unrelenting squeeze on NHS finances.

It is towards this backdrop that some hospitals are commencing to recognise methods that simple daily engineering can assist. DrDoctor has been operating with a variety of hospitals and clinical commissioning groups across the United kingdom to introduce an automated text messaging method that saves time for staff and tends to make access to appointments easier for individuals.

For instance, providing individuals the choice to adjust, accept or acquire option dates by a 1-word text message has pushed down ‘do not attend’ (DNA) charges at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS basis trust by twenty%.

We are now embarking on a trial at the trust that will text offers of cancelled appointments to patients on the waiting listing. The believe in was hit by twelve,700 late cancellations inside of two days of the appointment time at Heatherwood outpatients in the final year.

We proposed the move soon after our survey at the believe in found that sufferers needed updates on reserving modifications by way of technology that they are familiar with. The huge majority – 91% – of patients would accept last-minute appointments if a cancellation freed up time, even with much less than a couple of days notice.

Early pilots indicate that we can refill greater than 50% of cancelled appointments by means of the DrDoctor method. We are confident that figure will increase when we roll out to include more substantial numbers of individuals and appointments.

Often referred to as “slot utilisation”, the smart use of hospital appointment data and the technological potential to flag up totally free time can ensure generating good on targets isn’t a costly venture. Employing SMS, smartphone and eventually on the internet portals which patients can accessibility as effectively as professionals, is a far far more efficient way than manually sorting by way of patient information and instances, and frees up time to concentrate on improving the quality of care sufferers receive in other techniques too.

This ease of communication is transformative for patient experience text messages and automation perform for most sufferers. Mixed with on the internet solutions, for individuals with smartphones or PCSs we can engage the hard younger demographic who make up the bulk of DNAs. With the vast majority of administration automated, reserving teams can now target on the frail or at danger sufferers who need to have an additional human assisting hand.

We are forever getting told that the NHS is lacking in innovation. Imaginative use of existing technologies and giving individuals greater details will go a lengthy way to minimize the consistent dilemma of missed appointments, late cancellations, and the failure of some trusts to meet 18 week limits on waiting times. It won’t fix all difficulties, but it would be a effectively-required start off.

Tom Whicher is co-founder of DrDoctor

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How text messages can eradicate waiting times